Men attracted to high-pitched voices

Women's voices higher - and sexier - when fertile

It has always been assumed that men find gravely, husky voices the most attractive. But a new study reveals that the opposite could be true.

A study of vocal changes during ovulation has showed that women's voices become higher – and are deemed more attractive – when they are most likely to conceive.

The finding from the US study are the latest in a long line of research that suggests women subconsciously change their behaviour to increase their attractiveness towards the opposite sex, and therefore, boost their chances of having a child.

Nathan Pipitone and Gordon Gallup, of the State University of New York in Albany, investigated vocal attractiveness by recording female volunteers counting from one to 10 at four different points in their menstrual cycle, which they categorised as low to high risk of conception.

They then asked a panel of men and women to listen to the recorded voices and give their unbiased assessment as to whether they sounded attractive or not. Both sexes judged the women's voices to be sexiest when they were recorded at the times during their menstrual cycle when they were at their most fertile.

'The results showed a significant increase in voice attractiveness ratings as the risk of conception increased across the menstrual cycle in naturally cycling women. There was no effect for women using hormonal contraceptives,' the scientists said.

Mariella Frostrup sound-a-likes had better start practicing their Marilyn Monroe.